Hand-hole cover for generators.



W. L. BLISS. HAND HOLE COVER FOR GENERATORS. APPLICATION FILED mm. 1912.

-' 1,157,497. Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. BLISS, 0F. NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T0

U. S. LIGHT AND HEAT CORPORATION, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF 'NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

Application'filed January 9, 1912. Serial No. 670,277.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM L. BLISS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hand-Hole Covers for Generators, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specificationl My invention relates to a hand hole cover for a generator.

Where the construction of a generator 4 field frame or casing is such that the brushes and commutator are completely inclosed order to protect the same against dust, IIlOlS- ture or other foreign elements, it is desirable to provide ready access to said brushes and commutator for the purpose of inspection, adjustment and renewal.

The object of my invention is to provide means which permit ready access to the brushes, commutator and associated parts, which means, however, shall effectively protect these parts against the'intrusionof dust and dirt.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a very simple effective and practical embodiment of the invention. It consists of a hand, hole cover which is very light and strong and which may be quickly removed from and quickly applied to the casing of a car lighting generator. I have illustrated a car lighting generator because the generators in this class of service are usually mounted on a car truck, and accordingly are normally subjected to the objectional effects of an excessive amount of dust and dirt, whereby the need for some device for effectually barring these deleterious elementsis especially great;

, Figure l is an elevation of a car lighting generator having a hand hole cover in the form of a flexible band applied thereto.

- vided with any well known type of brush mechanism Which is preferably concealed in the reduced end port1on2. This end portion, as illustrated, is circular in outline and is provided preferably with two large openings 3 on opposite sides thereof. Of course,

of two holes of about the relative size'and location of those illustrated in the drawings being particularly useful in connection with a four pole machine.

In order to cover the openings 3 and to prevent the entrance of dust and moisture, I provide an encircling band or belt 4 preferably of cotton adapted to completely surround the circular end portion 2 and of a width suliicient to cover the openings. This band is preferably re-inforced by a metallic backing 5 of any suitable material. Galvaziized sheet iron is very satisfactory. The sheet iron backing'is preferably riveted to the cotton belt at a suiiicienm number of points to effect a substantially iiu ltary structure of these two elements. Among the rivets used I preferably provide four pairs of rivets 6, much larger than the remaining rivets, and having preferably conical heads projecting radially inward. These rivets are so located that their integral projecting heads are adjacent thewalls which determine the ends of the openings 3, as shown clearly in Fig. '2. Accordingly, the rivets act as guides in properly locating the belt in such a manner that the same may be effectively tightened without leaving any openings or cracks for the entrance of dust. In fact, the design of the parts is such that it is practically impossible to adjust the belt clamping device unless the rivets 6 are dropped into the openings 3. If these rivets happen to rest on the circular wall shown in'Fig. 2, the effective circumference of the belt would be increased to such a degree as to render the engagement of the belt clamping elements temporarily out of the question.

. The belt clamping elements include, in general, a suitable bracket 7 riveted near one end of the belt and a wrench or handle 8 preferably riveted at 9 to an eye oropening formed by turning in and riveting one end of the sheet iron backing 5. This cohstruction is-clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and e connections between the handle 8 and the pivotal point 9 includea T-shaped bolt 10 having a screw-threaded end received in an end of the handle 8. The bracket 7 is provided with a pair of abutments or jaws 11, having an opening between the same, and

each having a turned over outer extremity Hto withdraw the end 13 a or hooked portion 12. Said opening is adapted to receive the bolt 10 loosely therein, but is sufficiently narrow, however, to prevent the abutting end 13 of the wrench from 4 passing therethrough. It is apparent that by revolving the handle or wr-nch 8 in a direction tending to unscrew, the same from the threaded end of the bolt l0, the belt as a 'whole will be loosened, and'the bearing end 13 of the wrench will be backed away from the abu'tments 11, whereby said wrench as a whole may readily be swung up or lifted to approximately the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2, whereupon the encircling band may be readily lifted from the generator casing. In order to replace the belt the above operation is simply reversed and the wrench is tightened until the cotton belt is drawn firmly down over the openings. thereby effectively closing said openings.

It should be noted that the handle portion 8 is preferably bent at a considerable angle with the main body portion of the wrench, whereby the weight of said handle tends to maintain the same in a pendant position and prevents the gradual unscrewing of the same, due to continued jarring or vibration. Furthermore, the provision of the hooked portion l2 insures a positive locking engagement of the respective endportions of the belt. At the'same time these hooked projections 12 are so short that only a few revolutions of the Wrench are necessary in order a sufiicient distance to permit the handle to be lifted and the parts entirely disengaged.

Although I have illustrated my preferred construction as applied to a car lighting generator, of course it is not limited to use with this type of generator. Furthermore, I do not desire to limit myself to the various details of construction shown and described, but desire to cover suitable equivalent means, where such means fa l within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination with a generator casing provided with inspection openings therethrough, a flexible band encircling said casing and covering said openings, means for detachably uniting the ends of said band and drawing the same together, and means for positioning the ends of said band on said casing to prevent the'joint in the band from registering with an inspection opening.

2, In combination, a generally-cylindrical casing, an inspection opening therethrough,

a flexible strip encircling the casing and closing said opening, means'for positioning of said opening,

.said strip (iircumferentially with respect to I said casing to insure complete closure of said opening, and means for drawing the ends of said strip together.

3. In combination, a cylindrical casing, inspection openings therethrough, a flexible strip surrounding the casing and forming an inclosure for said openings, means for posi tioning said strip circumferentially with re-i spect to said casing to insure complete clo sure of said openings, and a separable fastener for adjust-ably drawing the ends of said strip together and dctachably holding them in adjusted position.

4. In combination, a generator casing hav ing a hand hole adjacent the brush mecha nism, a flexible band adapted to encircle said generator casing to cover said hand hole, positive engaging members carried by the ends of said band, one of said members having an adjustable portion, whereby said members may be drawn toward each other to firmly clamp the band in position, said band comprising a fabric belt having a sheet metal backing riveted thereto, certain of 85 said rivets projecting inwardl i and spaced apart a distance nearly equal to the length in order to properly position said belt with respect to said generator casing.

5. A hand hole cover comprising a flexible band made up of a belt of compressible fabric and a metallic backing therefor, said elements being riveted togethenfour of said rivets projecting from the fabric side of said belt in order to engage the end walls of two oppositely arranged openings in a generator casing to properly position said belt applied thereto, said belt having an adjustable wrench at one end and a cooperating 100 bracket at the other end, said wrench and said bracket having positive interlocking engagement when in adjusted position and adapted to be moved out of interlocking engagement upon slight adjustment of said ad- 105 justable wrench.

6. In combination, a dynamo electric machine casing provided with an inspection opening therethroug a flexible strip e11- circling the casing and closing said opening 110 and means for positioning said strip circumferentially with, respect to said casing to insure complete closure of said opening.

In witness whereof, I'have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence'of two witnesses.

WM. A. FU'RBAYNE, F. J. CALLAHAN. 

